The Mansion Enigma
by Twilight Joltik
Summary: The Smash Mansion seems innocent enough, and considering it saves people from dying, it should be a force of good, right? But underneath the quirky exterior sits a web of mysteries and lies that no one has been able to unravel. A prince, a mercenary, a guard, a goddess, a warrior, an angel, a trainer, and a psychic amnesiac are determined to change that to stop a mysterious threat.
1. Prologue

_**AN- I decided to write a thing. Yay. This is somewhat based off of an earlier one shot of mine, but it's mostly a new idea. I really hope you enjoy!**_

_**Also, I do not own Super Smash Bros, only my own ideas. Thank you and enjoy. -Twilight Joltik**_

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_The Mansion Enigma_

_Prologue _

I stood with my ear to the ornate door, holding my breath. I did not want to be caught eavesdropping; the results would hinder my plans. My father's voice echoed through the wall dividing the hall from his conference room. "We must prepare at once! The attack could come at any moment!", he cried. I let out a sigh of relief. He was preoccupied with political issues. I hadn't the foggiest idea what he was talking about, but I supposed it was likely what he had been talking about when I had tuned him out in lessons for the past month. It seemed to be some sort of military issue, but I did not care. After tonight, I wouldn't have to care. I started to return to my room, but my breath caught as a familiar voice called out to me.

"Marth!", my sister called out. "What are you doing up this late?"

"M-might I ask the same of you?", I countered, trying very hard to suppress the fear in my voice.

"I was going to get a small snack," she stated. "But you're usually asleep by now. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all. I was just getting a bit restless, so I was just walking around, trying to see if that helped," I lied.

She narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to see what I was truly planning, but she soon turned away. "Alright," she cried as she headed back down the hall. "Try not to disturb father's meeting."

I sighed. That had been a close call. I glanced down the rich red velvet hall after her. It was far too lavish, filled with far too many expensive paintings, lavish tapestries, gold, and other superfluous trinkets. I felt it was no wonder my father was having political issues, if he spent all of the country's money on luxury items for himself and his family alone, rather than on things the country actually needed, such as help for those in need and military defences. I tried to convince myself one last time of what I had been told time and time again; I would make a great king. I would be able to rule this country well, or at least better than my father. I shook my head. I had already made up my mind; that was not what I wanted to be. I did not want power, only freedom. And freedom I would get.

I pulled open the door of my room, where I had laid out one of the horrible capes my father insisted were "proper regal garb", though they looked silly. On it, I had stacked everything I believed I would need. The sword I used for "combat training", which was hardly ever anything practical, sat by a small pouch of gold that I would surely be able to use to buy whatever else I would need from a shop in a village somewhere. The cape would find practical use as a blanket; I had never been taught how to start a fire. I glanced around the room to see if there was anything else I would need. The golden crown I was so often forced to wear glinted in the faint moonlight on its perch atop my dresser, as if it were beckoning to me. I groaned and grabbed it; surely it would sell for a few coins.

I quickly changed into the only practical article of clothing I owned. Perhaps it was a guard uniform I had pillaged, but it was the best I could do. The blue tunic had some shoulder armor that seemed all but pointless, but the lace-up boots would be resilient, and the leggings were fairly comfortable, so I could not complain. After putting on the cape, strapping the sword to my belt in its sheath, and fastening the coin pouch to my belt as well, I begrudgingly put the crown on, as it would be the easiest way to carry it for the time being, though I knew I would have to take it off once I was out of the castle so I was not recognized. I then walked back out of my room. I could not bear to look back. I did not want to regret my decision. I swiftly sneaked through the halls, flinching each time I heard a noise. It was never anything but my own imagination, but I soon encountered another obstacle. A guard was stationed at the door, silhouetted in the moonlight. I took a breath and inched closer. He turned towards me and my heart stopped.

"So, you're really doing this, are you?", he asked. I recognized the voice well, as it belonged to one I could almost call a friend. Roy was a trainee guard that was around my age, and despite the bows and formal titles, almost treated me like a normal human being. "You said you wanted to so many times, but I didn't think you'd actually try to sneak out."

"I am not sneaking out; that implies I intend to return," I huffed.

"Don't be so s-" Roy's voice caught, as if he had started to regret what he had started saying. "I mean, you couldn't possibly mean that. Your parents, Elise, they would be so worried. Not to mention your father would have the entire military out looking for you."

I sighed. "I know, but I want no part of this life anymore. I cannot bear being confined like this any longer. I do not want to be on a pedestal, never getting to touch my surroundings. I want to be a regular person, not a leader who thinks only of himself. So, even if I'm caught, which I hope to not be, I'll have made my point."

He nodded and started to say something else, but stopped himself. "I won't tell anyone where you've gone, or that I know anything, if that helps."

I smiled and started to leave, but something stopped me. I turned back to him. "Thank you," I whispered. "You have been kind to me."

I continued out the door, but heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Roy trailing me. "You don't know anything about the world. At least let me show you where the inn is in town," he offered.

"Thank you. That would be very helpful." We crossed the grounds silently. I once had thought these gardens must have been the most beautiful thing in all the world. Now they only reminded me of the time I spent there being taught by my father how to rule Altea someday. I would soon find far greater beauty in the world of freedom.

An iron gate stood at the border between my old world and the new one. Roy climbed over it deftly, but I hesitated. I recalled climbing them with my sister a few times when we were young, but the memory of the action itself seemed to have left me. I stared at the swirling rusted metal, putting one foot in a low curve. I recalled it a bit better, and put my other foot in a higher one, and then swung my leg across the fence. I then found myself laying on the ground in a rather awkward position, Roy attempting to suppress a snort of laughter. I stood back up and smiled; I was finally free. I stood for a moment, reveling in the beauty of it until Roy pulled me into a patch of trees nearby. "We can't just stand here in the middle of the road!", he berated. "Someone might see you!"

I nodded. "Yes, you said you would show me to the inn?"

"Right. This way." He started off into the woods. I walked behind him, looking at the deadened trees and fallen leaves littering the forest. It was charming, in a way. It seemed to carry the magic of endless possibilities, but also of death and endings. Fitting, as my old life was now dead to me.

We soon arrived in a small collection of houses with stone walls and wooden roofs, strung together with stone brick pathways. "The inn's here," Roy stated, motioning to a larger building with a sign hanging in front of its door with a sketch of a bed on it. "Good luck."

"Thank you again," I stated as he walked away. It was finally time for me to be on my own. A vague smile graced my face as I stepped towards the inn. Before I could enter, a loud metallic thud rang out from behind me. My smile fell as I turned to face an unfamiliar figure, clad in fiercely glinting full-body armor and holding a spear. As I saw a blazing orange glow at the edge of my vision, I drew my sword.

The eyes of the figure glowed gold inside the blackness of his helmet in a way I found wholly unnatural and inhuman. I knew my sword strikes would do very little, or even no damage at all, so I ducked out of the way and ran towards an open stretch of paving stones. Fire seemed to surround me, yet no villagers were there. Was it possible they had all fled, or were they all dead already?

The armored mass shuffled towards me, making an awful clanking noise with each step it took. I flinched as held my sword in front of me like a shield, unsure what to do. Suddenly, Roy grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a patch of woods. "Come on, that thing's trying to kill you!", he cried. I ran beside him, but I could hear its metal body shaking the ground on impact behind us.

Suddenly, I realized the clanking seemed to be multiplying. I hardly dared to look back, fearing I'd find more of the armored beasts pursuing us. Roy let out a small cry, and my heart stopped as more of the beasts materialized in front of us. They seemed to be pursuing another boy, who looked more irritated than fearful. They converged on the three of us, holding out their spears. More of them seemed to approach on every side, and I closed my eyes and held my breath, knowing that I was done for.

I waited for the attack, but it did not seem to come. I carefully opened my eyes to see our armored assailants gone, Roy and the other boy sprawled unconscious on the ground, and a mysterious figure covered by a black cloak standing before me.

"What happened?", I asked. "Am I dead?"

"Not quite. I am keeping the beasts at bay, for the time being," replied a low voice that could only have come from the cloaked figure.

"So you saved me?"

The cloaked figure came closer. "Not quite. You see, time is not flowing as it should at the moment. If I were to resume it, then you and your friends would perish at the hands of those armored men."

"Why were they attacking us?", I asked. "Who are you? How did stop time?"

"They were invading the country," it croaked. "Your father would know that, wouldn't he, Marth?"

That must have been the attack my father had spoke of. Why had I dismissed it? The country was being destroyed, and had I payed attention, I could have tried to warn someone. Now we would all die. "B-but why are you telling me this?"

"I have a… proposition for you," hissed the cloaked figure. "You see, I have a safehouse, of sorts. If I were to bring you and your friends there, you would not die. However, this asylum comes at a price. Are you willing to pay?"

I knew this couldn't be a good thing. Eerie cloaked figures offering you impossible deals at a 'price' never ended well in stories. However, the alternative was a certain death for the three of us. "Are you asking me to make the decision for the three of us?", I asked.

"No. You are dreaming this, as are they. But if you accept, you will be safe."

I breathed deeply. I knew I was making a mistake, but I choked out "I-I ac-cept."

"Thank you for your agreement," muttered the cloaked figure. I suddenly fell to the ground, a dark haze overtaking me.

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_**AN- I hope to write more soon. More things will be explained next chapter. Thank you for reading! -Twilight Joltik**_

_**Next Chapter- Exposition. A very much lot of exposition. **_


	2. A Very-Much-Lot of the Exposition

_The Mansion Enigma_

_Chapter One_

I blinked awake. I was unsure where I was, but it seemed to be in a bed… That was odd. I was sure I had left the palace. Had I made it to the inn? Wait, something happened after that…

I sat up at once, my eyes shooting open. The room I was in was small and unfamiliar. It was fairly plain, with fluttering blue curtains on the windows and matching sheets and comforters on the beds. The bed on the opposite side of the room was crumpled and unmade, as if someone had slept in it. What had happened after I ran away? I thought I remembered Roy being with me… Wait.

The memories flooded back to me. A hooded figure had offered me asylum when I was about to be killed by armored soldiers who were viciously invading the country. I had accepted, hadn't I? What was the price he had mentioned?

I got out of bed and opened the door of the room to what seemed to be a long hallway. It stretched on for a rather long way before turning to the left, a mirror at the end of the first section. It was carpeted, with plain white walls interrupted every few feet by a door marked with some sort of odd symbol. A flower, a star, a bow and arrow, an odd triangle marking, and many others. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the one I had just exited was marked with a sword, as was the one on its left.

I was unsure what else to do, so I followed the long hall until I got to a larger room where a few strange figures seemed to be eating breakfast on a few sofas and tables. A humanoid bird and green-hatted man were eating at one of the tables, while an angel was sitting on the sofa, eating something out of a bowl and staring at an odd glass with light emanating from it. He seemed to notice me and turned towards me with a smile. "Hey, you're new here, aren't you?", he asked.

I wasn't quite certain what to say; at least a thousand different questions had occurred to me, so it came out something akin to "What? How? Who are- oh, never mind."

He laughed. "Yeah, you're definitely new. Come on!" He put down his breakfast on the arm of the chair and stood up. "I'll show you around." He ran off back towards the hallway I had just exited. I followed him, unsure what to expect.

He suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall. "Okay, this is the hall where most of the rooms are. The weird symbols are to help you identify your room. People from around the same place as you have the same marks on the door. They'll also be your identifiers in fi- oh, getting ahead of myself. Usually, you'll share your room with someone else from near you, and guys have different rooms from girls. I'm the only guy from my world, so I have a room to myself."

"I'm really not getting any of this," I sighed. "Why are we here? Who are you?"

"Okay, sorry. I've never showed a newcomer around before, but I knew I probably wouldn't get a chance unless I jumped in it when it came to me," he apologized. "I'm Pit. You are?"

"Marth."

"'Kay, got it. And we're here because we all ought to be dead. All of us were about to die when the Smash Reaper saved us by bringing us here."

"Smash Reaper?", I repeated. "Is that the cloaked figure that brought me here?"

"Probably."

"What was that price he mentioned? Why us?"

Pit shrugged. "Not sure, really. I'd imagine it's that we can't really leave. And why us? Um, no clue. Luck of the draw, I suppose."

"What?", I cried. "Why can't we leave?" I started to regret leaving the palace at all, until I realized that at least here I would be treated like a regular person with no rules. Of course, I couldn't even exit the odd, winding mansion, so was it truly a step up?

"Well... You'll see, I guess. It's kind of complicated."

I sighed. "That's not really an answer..."

"You ask too many questions," Pit laughed. I had a sinking suspicion I wasn't going to get many answers. I couldn't make heads or tails of anything, but I could tell Pit couldn't either. Or, at least, he wanted to avoid the subject for whatever reason.

"Fine. Just, keep going with your tour," I sighed.

Pit started down the hall in the opposite direction and we soon arrived in a stark white hall turning to the right. On one side was a large glass panel that seemed to allow a glimpse at a very large room that was currently darkened, and on the other side, slightly inset into the wall was a row of chairs. "What are they for?", I asked.

"Sorry, I'm not supposed to tell you about it right now," he stated nervously. I wondered what he must be hiding, as most of his answers had been dodgy.

At the end of the odd hall was a door. Pit opened it for me. "Um, th-" My gratitude was cut off by my surprise to where it led. A green expanse dotted with patches of flowers and trees was beyond it. I stepped onto the grass easily. "I thought you said we couldn't leave!", I half-gasped.

"Well, we can go outside, but, well," Pit searched for words. "It's... complicated."

I glanced around the green grounds. It was lush and green, but I could see mountains in the distance. "Hey!", Pit cried out, turning to the left. Glancing that way, I saw a girl with ashen blonde hair sitting on the grass reading a rather thick book. "Rose! Maybe you could give me a hand with the tour?"

The girl, apparently called Rose, glanced over at us and smiled. She stood up and seemed to almost hover over, her pale blue dress barely skimming the ground. "Gladly," she stated in a calm, dreamy voice. "It is nice to meet you, young one. I can tell you come from somewhere you are glad to be rid of."

"How did you-?"

She giggled lightly. "I know much. I am Rosalina, the guardian of young stars." She emphasized the last part with a wave of her golden, star-tipped wand. A small, yellow star-shaped creature appeared from nowhere. "Like this one. His name is Chara. Someday, he will be a fine star, or perhaps a comet or planet. You can never tell."

"Strange things happen at this place, do they not?", I asked. I knew if anyone could give me answers, it was probably her. "I saw a humanoid bird inside, and Pit's an angel, and you have that... Chara, and-"

"Hush now, Marth. Answers will come in time. Not even I know the secrets of this realm, but I can clear up a bit of your confusion."

"Thank you."

"You see, this Mansion is known to its inhabitants as the Smash Mansion. At least, that is what Master Hand calls it. Many beings from many realms inhabit this place. I, for one, am from an Observatory that guards young stars, commonly known as Lumas, and the galaxies it passes. Some realms are filled with different species, such as Falco, who you met a moment ago. In his realm, what you would call "humanoid animals" are the primary inhabitants," she explained kindly.

"Okay, I think I've got that," I said. I was unsure if I really understood any of this, but I supposed it wasn't that odd that a time-space transcending cloaked man called the "Smash Reaper" saved people who were about to die in many worlds and took them to a mansion that they couldn't ever leave. Alright, it was incredibly odd, but it was at least a start.

"Understanding and acceptance will come in time. This realm is a small Pocket Dimension, hence the reason we cannot leave. However, it is fairly vast. There is a forest, mountains, ruins, and many more places to explore. Additionally, they change every so often, so those who enjoy adventures never get bored. Of course, there are also the fights, but you will learn of those in time. The mansion itself holds many pastimes itself. A rather lot of technology you would likely find unfamiliar and many rather interesting denizens to learn from. The library is rather expansive, and new books pop up from time to time, which I rather enjoy. Any more questions?"

I shook my head. "Not right now. Thank you, Rosalina. Pit," I turned to the angel. "Can you show me this fighting thing you all keep talking about?"

He shook his head. "They will fetch you and the other newcomers soon enough. Now, you're probably starving, so do you want to get some breakfast?"

"Sure. Thank you." He led me back to the room where I had first encountered him, and opened another door, which was a straight shot from the hallway. It opened to a room filled with a great deal of food items of which I had never seen the likes of before. Fruit, bread, and many meats were among the spread, along with odd collections of grains, mysterious brown cakes of many varieties, including ones with odd holes, and many other foods. I picked up a rounded cake with a hole in the middle and took a small bite from it. It was soft, chewy, and very sweet. "What is this?", I asked.

Pit stared at me with a blank look on his face. "You don't know what a doughnut is? What kind of awful place are you from?"

"Altea," I sighed. "This is good. What else is good here?"

Pit practically shoved me into a chair at a table and ran off to a stack of plates, then placed a small piece of nearly everything in the room on it. He introduced me to such delicacies as bacon, English muffins, non-English muffins, waffles, cereal, and many other things. I quite enjoyed them, and started to feel as if this wasn't such a bad place to be after all. After I had eaten, he asked me a series of odd questions. "So, where you're from, do you have TVs?"

"What are those?"

"No? How about computers?"

"Um..."

"Manga? Do you have video games? How about air conditioning? Electric lighting? Indoor plumbing? Please tell me you have cool weapons, at least!"

"I wouldn't say cool, but we have swords and bows."

Pit buried his face in his hands in exasperation. "Where do you come from, Hyrule?"

"Where do you come from that has so many fancy things?", I countered.

"Oh, we don't have as much cool stuff as they have here," Pit admitted. "I was Lady Palutena's best soldier. Really more magical than technologically advanced. We at least had cool weapons, though.

"That's nice," I groaned. He was starting to sound a bit too far towards the arrogant side for my taste. Suddenly, someone walked through the door. A young man with a black bandana tied around his spiky dark blue hair glanced over at where Pit and I were sitting and glared at me. I started to feel as if I knew him from somewhere as he strode towards me. My memories of the previous night flooded back, and I recalled the young man who had been fleeing from the armored beasts.

"You. You were there last night, were you not?", I asked.

"Yes," he replied haughtily. "But what exactly were you doing there?"

"Running," I stated simply.

"From the soldiers or from something else?", he asked.

"Both," I admitted. "You see, I was getting sick of being royal and all the expectations and-"

He groaned. "Really? You have luxuries the rest of the universe would kill for, and you get sick of it? How idiotic and vain are you?"

"Excuse me, but you will not talk to me that way!", I exclaimed.

"Well, excuse me, but I thought you said you were sick of being treated differently! I'm just doing exactly what I would do for anyone else; tell them what a spoiled, selfish airhead they're being."

"I-"

"Feel entitled to far more than you deserve? Exactly. Some of us have hardships, and some of us are actually fortunate enough to have what they need and more. You could at least be grateful for the life you were fortunate enough to be born into, and not wish things were different because you get bored!"

His words burned like acid, but I knew they were true. I sighed. "I suppose you have a point," I admitted dejectedly.

"A- wait, what?"

"You have a point. I was stupid to have been so ungrateful. But, that doesn't mean I regret what I did. This place is lovely, and I will enjoy it here. Please tell me your name."

"It's Ike," he stated, still a bit dumbstruck. "Sorry. I can be a bit blunt sometimes. I guess I was just a bit frustrated, and you happened to be there."

"I forgive you. It is nice to meet you, Ike."

Suddenly, a loud voice that seemingly emanated from the walls cried out. "Newcomers Marth, Roy, and Ike will now report to the Training Room for their first fight. All who wish to see may report to the Observation Hall," it declared.

I started to ask Pit where the Training Room was, but a blue light soon enveloped me. White flashed before my eyes and I soon found myself in another place.

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_**AN- I feel like I have more explaining to do than Rosalina did. I was unsure whether or not to use a more modern mansion or not, but I decided that if the creator of it could see other dimensions, and some realms represented there (I,e, Pokémon world, Mario world, etc.) had fairly modern technology, it would stand to reason that the mansion would as well. I just fear too much of these next few chapters will be spent with Marth being introduced to modern concepts. Also, I know, so much exposition, but I feel that's exactly what Marth needed to hear. I know Ike's appearance felt a little sudden, and he came off a bit too cruel and calmed down a bit too quickly, but just know that his and Marth's relationship is not even kind of finished developing. **_

_**Thank you for reading, and a really big thanks to Mariko Midori for her follow and penmaster13 for her follow, favorite, and kind words! You two rock, as does everyone else reading this! -Twilight Joltik**_

_**Next Chapter- Slightly epic fails...**_


	3. Marth Fails at Life and also Death

_The Mansion Enigma_

_Chapter Two_

The blue light cleared, and I found myself in a room with pale green walls and a white tiled floor. It was bare, save for a large white cylinder slumped in the center of the room. "Wh-where am I?", I asked out loud, though I knew no one could hear me.

"Hello, Marth. Welcome to the Smash Arena," proclaimed a voice, echoing throughout the small room. I began to ask the voice who he was and what he meant, but he interrupted my thoughts swiftly. "I am Master Hand, the host of this arena. Here, you shall be fighting with the fellow residents of the Smash Mansion in combat. Prepare your weapon!"

"I don't have a weapon," I exclaimed. "That stupid training sword disappeared, and..." I suddenly felt a weight on my back. I reached back there to find a sheathed sword strapped there. I drew it and looked at it. It was silver and reflective, but had a golden hilt with a red gem in the middle.

"Now, let the battle begin!", Master Hand cried out. Another blue light enveloped me, and I found myself in a dark void that looked like the night sky. I looked down to see a blue glassy surface underfoot. This must be an Arena of some sort. Was this the fighting Pit and Rosalina had spoken of? Looking up, I saw Ike had joined me on the field as well, as had Roy, looking shell-shocked and nearly as confused as I felt.

"What are we supposed to do?", I asked.

Ike pulled out a large golden sword that was seemed far too for him to wield, yet he easily pointed it at me with one hand. "You heard what he said; this is a battle."

"To the death?", asked Roy, who was wielding a golden blade with a silver stripe down the middle.

Ike shrugged. "I don't think so. I guess they'll stop us once we're done."

I stared at my weapon in shock. Was I really expected to battle these two? Roy was practically a friend, and Ike, while a bit blunt and irritating, was certainly not someone I wanted to harm. Not to mention the fact that I had little to no idea how to use this weapon. However, I felt a cutting slice throw me backwards. Roy had charged me, though he looked like he hadn't truly wanted to. I had no choice, it seemed. Raising my blade, I slashed back, though he skillfully parried it.

"I'm sorry," he muttered as he slashed me once more. I winced as I flew backwards. Roy pointed his sword at my throat. I glanced behind me to see the platform's edge only inches away. With a deadened glint in his eyes, Roy slashed at me once more. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the fall, but instead heard a cry of "Aether!". I opened my eyes to see Ike slamming his sword from midair down at Roy, who was swiftly sent flying off the stage.

"Have you even ever used a sword?", Ike whispered to me, holding his sword as if he were about to slash at me and a hostile gleam in his dark blue eyes.

"Not really..."

Ike sighed as he slashed at me. I fell over the edge, the black consuming me.

Suddenly, I jerked awake. I was in the glass-lined hall Pit had showed me, lying on the floor. I stood up and turned, to see a mass of different people sitting in the chairs in front of the window, many of them exiting and muttering various things. Pit, along with a green-hatted young man with blond hair, a green-haired lady with a flowing white gown on, and a brown-haired young man with a red cap approached me. Pit put his hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Man, that was pathetic."

The red-hatted young man nodded. "Yeah, Toon can wield a sword better than you, and he's like, twelve."

The woman laughed. "Pit, your choice in friends is certainly odd," she stated.

"Was it really that bad?", I asked.

"Yes," stated the green hatted young man. "It really was. I'm Link, by the way."

"Sorry," I snapped. "But I just hadn't the foggiest clue what was going on?"

"But your friends picked up quick enough," the red-hatted one pointed out. "Oh, I'm Red, by the way. Well, I'm called "Pokémon Trainer" in fights, 'cause I use my Pokémon, but you can call me Red."

"What is a Pokémon, exactly?", I asked. Red smirked and produced a small red and white orb from his belt. He clicked a button on it and threw it. A small blue-green creature came out. It had a leafy flower bud on its back and stood on four legs.

"This is Ivysaur," Red explained. "She's a Pokémon."

"So you just fight using those weird leafy things?"

The creature glared at me, but Red silenced it with a wave of his hand. He sent out two more creatures; a small blue turtle and a large, red draconian beast with wings. "I have these two, as well. They're called Squirtle and Charizard. They're also Pokémon. There are a whole lot of other Pokémon here at the mansion. Usually, they only fight when summoned from a Poke Ball, but some of them are fighters on their own. He gestured to a small, round pink creature with pointed ears. It could only be described as adorable. "That's Jigglypuff. She may look harmless, but her Rollout packs a mean punch."

I sighed. "Alright. I do not believe I need to hear any more on the subject, thank you."

Red nodded and recalled his Pokémon. "Later," he called flatly as he left.

The green-haired lady huffed. "Red is a bit one-note. All he cares about is Pokémon."

"Yeah, but it pays off. He knows how to use them and uses them well," commented Link.

The woman turned to me with a slight blush on her face. "Sorry, I forgot you were here for a minute. I'm Palutena, the goddess of light."

"The goddess of light?", I repeated.

"Yeah. I raise the sun, lower the moon, etcetera," she explained "Or, well, I guess I don't really do that here. Really, it's more of a fancy name for Queen than anything."

"She just, like, a Queen with really strong magic," Pit elaborated. "Got it?"

"I think so."

"Good," Pit stated. "Now, we can get to the important part; your fighting skills."

"You'll be called on for random battles most every day," explained Palutena. "We keep a chart on how well people are doing, and if you don't want to be a laughing stock, you'd better not fail so spectacularly from now on, got it?"

"Hey, might I remind you that Roy was knocked off before I was!", I exclaimed in defense.

"Yeah, but they rank on your knockouts, not on how long it is before your opponent stops taking pity on you," Pit replied.

"He wasn't taking pity on me, he was..."

"Taking pity on you; he could tell you couldn't fight," Palutena said. "But we can help fix that."

Link nodded. "I'm pretty good with swords, and it seems like that's the weapon you're saddled with, so I'll coach you."

"Thanks, I muttered. "This whole fighting thing isn't optional is it?"

"Nope," Pit deadpanned.

"Alright, got it. What do I need to do?"

Link headed to the door leading outside. "We should train out here," he stated.

I walked out the door and followed Link to a tree with many scratch marks on it. "Now, first of all, you just need to get a basic swing down." Link swung a blur of metal at the tree, which made a metallic noise when struck. I drew my sword, which had returned to its sheath while I was out, and struck the tree.

"No, you've got to hold it like this." Link held his sword to his side, pointing slightly upwards. "And then swing it" he slashed at the tree horizontally. "Like this. You try."

I held my sword as he had held his, but it felt quite awkward. "Um, are you sure this is correct?", I asked.

"Wait, are you right-handed?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Link sighed. "Sorry, hold it the other way. Like this." Link held his sword to the opposite side and swung it once more. I tried it that way, which felt a lot less awkward.

"Good. Now, let's work on a vertical slash," Link stated. For what seemed like hours, he showed me how to swing the sword in every which way, and then made minute corrections where he saw fit. It was tedious, but it felt as if it were working. By the time he commented that he thought I was done for the day, I felt like I could at least fare a bit better against the others in battle. But, as Link and I walked back towards the mansion, I had a few questions.

"What exactly happened in there? In the arena, I mean. One minute, I was falling, and then I woke up on the floor."

"It was a one-stock match," Link explained, as if it were obvious. "Usually, they're three-stock or timed."

"No, I mean, how did I end up back out there? And how did I not die from falling? Also, I cannot recall really feeling any pain from those attacks, but they only sent me flying back. Why was that?"

Link sighed. "You ask a lot of questions. But really, you just don't die in those. Instead, you get knocked out and either sent back into the arena, or in your case, back to the spectator's room. And about the pain, er, I don't really know how it works, but I'm sure Zelda could tell you all about it."

"Zelda?", I asked. "Who is she?"

"She's a really smart princess from Hyrule. Well, technically she's Queen, but we all call her a princess 'cause she doesn't really look old enough to be a Queen.

"An awful lot of royals here, are there not?", I asked, trying to sound inconspicuous. "Palutena, Zelda, and myself, not to mention Rosalina. Are there any others?"

"Well, there's Peach. And Bowser, but I'm not sure if he counts. And King Dedede, but that's really it."

"Seven, then?," I commented. "Out of-?"

"About fourth or fifty, I guess," estimated Link.

"Seems a bit unproportionally high, do you agree?"

Link looked at me oddly. "Whatever you say."

We re-entered the hall, where a young lady in a purple and white dress with brown braids in her hair stood.

"Hey, Zelda!", Link exclaimed. "We were just talking about you!"

Zelda stared at me intensely. I could almost feel her blue eyes slashing into me."You," she cried. "Marth. I need you to come with me."

* * *

_**AN- Yay! More characters! Now, I know Palutena hasn't been confirmed for SSB4 yet, **(edit-Well, now she is! GET HYPE!) **but I'm fairly sure she will be. Plus, she's in Pit's Final Smash in Brawl, so I think she'd probably be there anyways. Plus, she's a fun character to have around (and ship with other characters...), so I put her in. Speaking of shipping, I plan to have some in here, but only one pair is really set in stone (not telling who...), so tell me what you'd like to see.**_

_**Also, thanks to penmaster13 for her kind review! You totally rock! Thank you for reading! -Twilight Joltik**_

_**Next Chapter- Balcony monologues **_


	4. Inner Balcony Monologues

_The Mansion Enigma_

_Chapter Three_

Zelda led me down the halls of the mansion to a stairwell just past the dining room. She stepped up it without a word, and I did not dare ask where she was taking me; she would certainly dismiss it as most of the others usually did when I asked a question. We arrived in a room of rich red that reminded me strongly of the decor at the castle I had once called home. The room seemed to be overflowing with bookshelves, packed with volumes of every shape, size, and color. Zelda picked one of them up and flipped through it absentmindedly. She stood there for a solid minute without another word, until I asked "Excuse me, but you needed me for something, did you not?".

"Of course," she muttered, not glancing up from the thick tome for even a second. "I just need to find it again." She flipped through the pages until she finally stopped, and promptly pushed it into my face.

"Here it is," she exclaimed. "Tell me, do you recognize this?" There was a picture on the page in faded black ink. It appeared to be of an orb with a cross centered on its lower left.

"No, I do not," I stated. A grin of pure ecstasy spread over Zelda's visage.

"Really!?", she cried out, her eyes shining in excitement. She frightened me, so I simply nodded. "That is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The newcomers before you, I suppose I just couldn't get to them fast enough. Thank you! This will be a huge help!" She laughed manicly and rushed off, deeper into the library. I hadn't the slightest idea what I had done to make her so ecstatic, so I followed her through the bookshelves. The elf-eared princess was kneeled at a desk, writing frantically in an old journal with an odd stick that hardly resembled a quill, but seemed to function in much the same way.

"I hope you do not mind me asking, but whatever did I do that was such a great help?", I asked. She jumped and let out a small cry in surprise.

"Marth, you scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!", she berated.

"My apologies, but please answer my question."

She stood up, turned to me, and smiled. "You're an odd one; very persistent," she commented. "That will prove useful, in time. I simply was curious when…"

Suddenly, Red came running up to us. "Hello Marth, Zelda. Pit asked me to come get you. He said something about showing you dinner foods. Zelda, you're welcome to come as well."

"I would rather not. Marth, thank you." Zelda extended her hand to mine. I shook it, and she turned back to her desk. "I hope to speak to you again soon."

I followed Red back to the Dining Room, where Pit and Palutena were waiting. "Sorry to keep you waiting," I apologized. "I was simply assisting Zelda with… something. I am not entirely certain what; Red came for me while she was explaining."

Pit nodded. "Don't worry about it. Zelda's nice and all, but she's a bit..." He trailed off.

"Eccentric?", Palutena offered.

"Yeah. Eccentric. You don't need to worry 'bout her," Pit stated.

What they were saying about Zelda somewhat made sense, but I felt bad allowing them to dismiss her so easily. "She seemed fairly intelligent to me," I commented.

"She might be smart, but she's not entirely, er," Palutena seemed to be searching for words. "Sane, I suppose?"

I nodded. She had seemed a bit out of it. Regardless, I still mourned the fact that she was interrupted as she was about to explain her work to me.

"So," Pit continued. "Considering what you were like at breakfast, I figured Red, Palutena and I could help show you a few things."

"Um, certainly."

Red, Pit, and Palutena each grabbed a plate and piled it high with various odd foods. Nearly all of them were excellent, save for one beef dish that tasted quite similar to one the servants would often prepare at the castle. I also did not fully understand why Pit insisted upon dropping a cold dessert he called Ice Cream on the floor before eating it, but Palutena insisted that I should not ask. After I had eaten all I could, I decided to explore a bit on my own. The others offered to go with me, but I declined. I wanted to be alone for a moment to let the insanity of that day sink in.

I traveled back into the library, attempting to see what else was on the floor. Zelda had left, it seemed, as the desk she had knelt at was now occupied by a young man with bandages covering much of his armored body. I wandered through the bookshelves a bit more before coming across a door. I turned the handle and pushed it open to see a balcony overlooking the grounds. The sun was setting, and I could see much more of the area. There was a small lake directly ahead, with sprawling, decrepit ruins behind it, with a forest far to the left. However, with all the diversity, it seemed to simply stop in a black, rippling wall after a certain point. This place was vast, but it did end.

I leaned against the railing and sighed. So much had happened. I had fled, gotten nearly killed, and then whisked off here somehow. Had I made the correct choice in coming here? I did not know, but I hadn't had much of a choice. No, I had. If I had not run in search of a better life, I likely would not have come here. I would have either remained at the castle, or been killed while the army invaded, but at the castle. This place, it was perplexing, and I did not understand why we had to fight, but it was nice. While it was finite, it was less so than my old life. The expectations were fewer, not to there were people like Pit who would treat me like a regular person.

"I think I chose right," I muttered to the wind. The wind brought a slight chill with it, and I suddenly wondered if this place had seasons. It had been fairly temperate that day, but the leaves were green. Perhaps it was Spring here? And then would it be Summer, or was it always Spring. And what of the weather? Would there be rain? So many questions, yet the others would find them silly. Why was that? Did newcomers simply not arrive often, or was it another reason entirely? This place seemed to have mysteries. I hoped I could perhaps find Rosalina again; she had answered my questions without complaint. Or perhaps I could speak to Zelda again and hear what she had been stopped from saying earlier.

"Funny. You think much, yet you have not happened the most logical answer," stated a voice. I jumped in fright. A blue humanoid canine-esque creature had materialized next to me.

"How did you read my mind?", I asked.

"The Aura is with me," he answered with a smirk. However, his mouth did not move while he spoke. Was it telepathy? "You stand directly outside of a library. Perhaps you should seek answers out there."

"Alright. Who are you?"

"Lucario. I shall see you in time." Lucario leapt from the balcony, landing precisely on the ground. Though it was a long way to fall, he ran along the ground as if nothing at all had happened. I pushed the doorway open to attempt to search the library. What was I to look for, exactly? A book on this place? Rosalina's comments about her not knowing the secrets of this place made me think that such a book was unlikely to exist.

I wandered through the shelves for what felt like hours, but there were no books that held a clue on the mysteries surrounding me. Most of the books seemed to be novels, but one of the few non-fiction volumes jumped out to me. It told of swords and techniques for them. The book made them seem effective, so I grabbed it and vowed to attempt them in the morning.

I made my way back to the leftmost door marked with a sword, which I recalled hazily to be the one I was assigned. To my surprise, Ike was seated upon the other bed, holding a thick book with one hand and a candle in the other. He looked up as I entered the room. "Do you think there's something wrong with this place?", he asked spontaneously.

I seated myself upon the bed I had awoken in. "Certainly, but I do not know how find information. I spoke to a lady named Rosalina earlier, and she seemed to know a great deal, but she even admitted that there were many things she did not know."

"I mean, do you think whoever brought us here had some sort of agenda," he elaborated. "some sort of reason for choosing us. And why are we supposed to fight? It seems pointless. If we're already practically dead, what's the point in inflicting more pain?"

I was taken aback by how similar his questions were to mine. "I have no clue. No one else, save for Rosalina perhaps, wants to answer any questions. There must be something to this place, though."

"Maybe everyone else already knows, but they don't want to talk about it?", suggested Ike.

"That seems possible. I just dislike not knowing. Please tell me this; you clearly know who I am, but who were you before you came here."

"My father was a mercenary. I hoped to be like him," he stated. "I wanted to be a hero, of some sort. But here, everything's so safe there's really no one to help. But, I suppose, a future here would be better than no future at all." Ike suddenly blew out his candle, and I heard a small clunk, likely him placing it and the book on the nightstand. "You've gotten what you wanted, though. I suppose you are happy," he added somewhat bitterly.

"I do not know," I admitted. "I enjoy this freedom, and the people here are more pleasant, but I have a bad feeling about all of this."

He did not respond. I set my sword beside my bed and pulled the covers over my head. Everything only seemed sadder the more I thought of it. I would never see my sister again, nor either of my parents. And the other two; Ike had lost his father and his future. Roy, he had family as well. He had lost much as well. All the others here; what had they lost when they came here? Pit and Palutena had already known each other, but who else did they know that were now lost to them? Link seemed skilled at swordplay. Had he been training to be a guard like Roy? What future had he lost? All the numerous others must have lost their friends, family and futures. My mind drifted into oblivion as it vaguely occurred to me that perhaps they were able to learn to forget in time.

* * *

_**AN- So much Marth monologues. I fear we will be seeing those quite a lot. :) Don't worry; I want to use a few different POVs at some point. Tell me who you'd like to see. Also, Ike being actually somewhat nice! He doesn't hate Marth as much as it looks like he does, trust me. **_

_**Also, big thanks to ChocolateStars for your follow and review! Also to Penmaster13's review. You guys rock! But Penmaster13, please tell me if you're alright! Your profile page went blank and you changed your name a lot; did your account get hacked? I'm worried. Thank you for reading! -Twilight Joltik**_

_**Next Chapter- Mending bonds.**_


	5. Books and Awkward Conversations

_The Mansion Enigma _

_Chapter Four_

I woke up not knowing where I was, but it only took a moment to recall the place. I sat up and glanced over at Ike's bed to find that he had already gotten up, not bothering to make his bed. I sighed and pulled myself up, made my bed, and picked my sword up. What chaos would be held in the second day, I wondered.

I made my way to the room off the main dormitory hall that I could not recall the name of. A term came to me; 'Rec Room'. Had someone mentioned that and I forgotten? I racked my brain, but could not find where I had heard that name. However, I was certain that was what this room was called somehow.

Pit was seated on the couch, staring at a light-emitting box set against the wall. He noticed my arrival quickly and glanced up. "Hey, I don't think we finished the tour yesterday, did we?", he asked.

"I do not believe so," I replied. No more had to be said. Pit soon beckoned me away. Past the stairs to the library laid a large room filled with more lit glass, many in large upstanding containers. He referred to it as the Arcade, and promised to show me more of it later.

He then led me out a different door that led outside to a perfectly rectangular pond with water that was unnaturally blue. He called it a pool. A young boy and girl were splashing in it while a grey humanoid creature; a 'wolf' said my brain, lounged on a shining (my brain used the word 'plastic in reference to it, which I was certain was one I had not heard before) white chair.

Back inside, he dragged me to another room; a kitchen with an expansive pantry. It was being used by a blonde girl in a pink dress and several orange and tan creatures with only a round body, feet, and things that could only be called hands, though they were really just smaller blobs. The girl noticed us at once and smiled in a fairly unnerving way. "Hello, Marth," she greeted with almost eerie cheer. "I hoped I would meet you soon. My name's Peach, and you will need my help one of these days."

I had no idea how to respond to that, so I simply stayed quiet. She smirked. "You see, I, much like you, am a princess. Well, you're a prince, but it's practically the same thing. However, I was the keeper of a special artifact known as the Flower of Hearts, which grants me the divine power of love. I know the future of all with a heart, and I can divine the path you are to take in love."

Pit leaned over to me. "She's making this up," he whispered. "She really just likes playing matchmaker. Don't listen to her."

"Aw," she pouted. "You're no fun, Pitto-kun. I was just saying," she laughed a high note that made me feel rather wary of her state of mind. "Someone as cute as you is sure to get quite a bit of attention. Tell me if you ever need anything, m'kay?" She returned to her cooking and suddenly let out some rather unlady-like words as the acrid scent of smoke filled the air.

"Yeah, we should leave now...", Pit muttered. "I'll show you the arcade more."

However, as we exited, I was reminded of a book that sat in my room that I'd vowed to read. "Sorry Pit, I just remembered something," I called as I raced through a door leading to the dining room. I grabbed an item resembling a doughnut; a 'bagel', I thought, and rapidly ate it as I returned to my room. The book was laying on the floor, and I picked it up. The light fluttering in behind the curtains was watery and a bit dim, but enough to read by.

The book started out describing many of the tactics Link had shown me the previous day. I skimmed those pages, but learned very little. It then began to describe more advanced tactics. "Dancing Blade", "Dolphin Slash", "Counter"; these all sounded fairly effective. I resolved to try them out if I was forced into another match, or if Link agreed to train with me more. I practically memorized every word on those pages, and did so fairly quickly. I resolved to go to the library to get more books, but something caught my eye. Ike had set the book he had been reading on the bedside table. I picked it up and examined it to attempt to find out what it was about. "Explorers of the Sky", read the spine. I flipped it open to the first page, taking care not to lose Ike's place, and sat back on my bed to read it.

_I remembered very little. The only things I could grasp at had no context. Someone, an ally, a friend had cried out to me. Yes, I was slipping. Slipping away. Lightning had struck and shaken me off. But what was I shaken off of?_

_The other person begged me to hold on. I tried, but it seemed gravity and all the forces of nature were trying to shove me into the great black abyss. It was as black as death. The lightning didn't even phase the shroud over the ship, of some sort. I knew if I let go, there would be far worse than water waiting to drown me. I could not, for the sake of... something let go. But I had no choice. My hand let up. The dark nocturne of the neverending night engulfed me._

_But somehow I found myself floating in an ever-changing void of many colors._

_A voice called out to me from the shimmering, technicolor abyss. "Tell me, young one, who are you?", asked the voice._

_"I do not know," I replied. "Where am I? Who are you?"_

_"This place does not matter. You will leave it soon. Pray tell, who would you like to be?"_

_The answer came out before I could be entirely sure of its origin. "Someone Brave."_

_"Then Brave you shall be, young one", the voice laughed. "I can sense your Aura. You do not need help with bravery, but that will reflect itself onto your form. Yes, the power that rid you of your former self shall shape your new one."_

_Before I could ask what they meant, it added "Go forth into the new world, young hero!" and suddenly I was falling, falling, fa-_

"Marth!" I felt someone's hand on my arm. I looked up quite suddenly to see Roy standing before me, looking tired and very much unwell.

"I apologize," I stated curtly. "I was simply engulfed in this novel, and-"

"Don't worry about it," Roy sighed. "I just wanted to let you know that you have a battle scheduled for this afternoon. I'll let you get back to it."

He started to leave, but I cried out. "No, wait! I haven't gotten to speak to you since... since we came here. You look unwell. Are you alright?"

He turned back around. "I'm fine. This place just scares me a bit. Wasn't sure if it was safe to sleep last night."

"I do not understand this place either," I admitted. "But I believe we can come to in time. However, I do not believe it would be unsafe to sleep here."

"Yeah, but are y-" He stopped mid-sentence.

"Go on," I prompted, but he shook his head.

"No, it was kind of rude," he muttered.

I suddenly understood something. Perhaps he was a bit fearful of saying the wrong thing to me because of my status? He had often done similar things; stopping or correcting himself in mid-sentence. But my status meant nothing here, so this must have been a bit of a reflex. "Roy, I may have once been somewhat ranking above you in status, but that should not apply here, nor should it have ever applied at all! I want nothing more than to be treated like a regular human being, and if that encompasses taking insults, then it does! So... have at me, I suppose."

A smile that made me regret what I had said crept up on his face. He snorted in laughter before stating "Well, you're on an awfully high perch, aren't you, Princess?".

"Princess? How so?"

"You kind of look like a girl. And the tiara certainly doesn't help," he laughed.

I reached towards my head, finding a metal circlet I had all but forgotten was there. "I suppose I can see your point," I stated, chuckling lightly.

"Not to mention you aren't exactly bright," he stated, trying to banish the joy from his voice with little success. "That's what I was about to say earlier; you wouldn't be the first person I'd ask for advice on whether or not something was safe."

"That wouldn't be my fault," I defended in mock outrage. "I hardly had a chance to see anything beyond stone walls!"

"You still should have been bright enough to know running away was a horrible idea," he snapped, the amusement now all but vanished.

"I suppose you are right, but I do not regret it."

He suddenly pushed open the curtains. I squinted at the light. "Do you see that?", he asked.

"The landscape?"

"It's all that's left for us. I'm not going to tell you that it's all your fault, or explode on you,"

"Though those responses would be perfectly justified," I added, Ike's words to me the previous day coming back to me.

Roy looked at me and smiled sadly. "But just remember," he continued. "That as magical as this place might seem, there was plenty of magic in our own world."

"I was never given the opportunity to experience it," I rebutted softly.

"You could have," he replied. He then closed the curtains and walked out of the room. "Well, get back to your book. I'll see you."

"See you," I sighed. As the door closed, I felt both fulfilled and strangely empty.

I read for a good while longer. The book, as it turned out, was filled with the strange creatures Red had spoken of. The protagonist, whose name was Soren became one called Pikachu and befriended one named Marina, who was apparently a Pokémon known as Squirtle. Two thieves stole a relic that Marina valued greatly, and the two had to retrieve it. However, just when the two were about to confront the thieves, someone else knocked sharply on the door.

"Come in," I stated absentmindedly. Palutena opened the door with an expression of pure annoyance on her face.

"Marth, I hate to interrupt your reading, but Pit wants to play some video game with someone, Red and Link are in a match, and I would really rather not. Would you, please?"

I placed the book back on the bedside table. "Of course." I started towards the Arcade; I somehow knew that was where 'video games' were located there. Palutena trailed me, though I was unsure why. However, as I neared the locale, a blue light enveloped me, much as it had the first time I had been sent to a battle. Perhaps Roy had not been entirely accurate with his statement of the time.

I found myself in the same barren room as the last time, and waited to be called out further. It took a moment for the next light to form and deposit me into the arena. It was much different than the previous time, with platforms scattered in the clouds. It seemed to be some sort of palace or temple, or at least near one. One by one, the other fighters burst in; a man in an odd blue costume, a green reptilian creature with a red shell of sort on its back, and- I gulped- Ike. Drawing my sword, I braced myself for the battle.

The man's fist became engulfed in flames as he loudly shouted "Falcon Punch!" while charging the reptile. It responded by poking its tongue out and swallowing him. I had to turn away, as I saw blue flash at the corner of my vision.

"Sorry," Ike muttered as he slashed at me. What was that move the book described? I slashed back, making Ike stumble slightly backwards. The counter had worked! I then attacked with far greater skill than I knew I was capable with a graceful slash that glowed red. Ike regained his footing and plunged his blade into the ground, causing fire to spew from the earth. It certainly burnt my flesh, but it did not seem to do the same to my clothing.

Another cry of "Falcon Punch!" came from behind me, and I turned to deflect it and slashed at the man who sent it. He was sent flying off the platform, but Ike took that chance to attack me with a lunge. I was sent hurdling backwards off the platform, but I managed to get back up. I then jumped onto the platform above and saw the reptile standing there, along with the blue man. Using another Dancing Blade attack, I slashed through them. Ike then used an Aether attack, sending the reptile flying. I tried the Dolphin Slash, which sent the blue man off the platform as well.

My next attack nearly sent Ike flying, but he managed to jump back on the platform with Aether. The platform suddenly disintegrated, but the cloud underneath managed to support our weight just fine. Ike used the fire attack once more, and I flew off the stage. Black filled my vision, but it cleared quickly as I found myself at the top of the stage on a small platform. I jumped off and attacked the reptile, who suddenly turned into an egg and hurdles towards me. I Dolphin Slashed out of the way, and retaliated with Dancing Blade.

"Five"

A voice rang from the heavens.

"Four"

The reptile charged towards me.

"Three"

I jumped out of the way once more with Dolphin Slash.

"Two"

It hit me when I landed.

"One"

We charged towards each other. My heart was pounding. Why was I so competitive about something I did not want to do?

"Time!"

I turned and found myself back in the hall, where Pit, Red, and Palutena seemed to be waiting with smiles on their faces. I was suddenly aware Ike was also next to me.

"That was awesome!", Pit exclaimed.

Palutena shook her head in disbelief. "How did you learn all that so quickly?"

"Reading, I suppose?", I answered uncertainly. I looked at the departing crowd, and saw Roy leaving. He looked over at me and grinned.

Ike put his hand on my shoulder. "Whatever it was, it worked. You went from... whatever that was yesterday to almost winning!"

"Thanks," I muttered. I felt my cheeks grow redder from the flattery. Still, I knew no better than anyone else how only reading about those things allowed me to perform them with such skill.

* * *

_**AN- Yay! Marth doesn't fail at things. And also, yay for Roy actually being in this story! **__**I hope the section of the book version of Explorers of Sky wasn't too jarring. I just thought it'd be an interesting character bit/transition/time killer. Mostly inspired by Read It and Weep from FiM, and also the fact I was listening to the soundtrack of Explorers of Sky while writing it. Also, so sorry this update took so long; I kept getting distracted and busy. :( But hey, at least I beat the first half of Kid Icarus Uprising.**_

_**Also, Ike's back for SSB4! I'd be lying if I said I expected that, but I'm really glad- he's not only one of my favorite characters to write about, but also to play as. Yay.**_

_**Thanks to o realisticFantasy o for following! Also, everyone, thanks for reading! -TwilightJoltik**_

_**Next chapter- New POV!**_


	6. Friendship and Study

_**AN- Please just let me take this moment to apologize for the long wait. Life happened, and I got sidetracked. I will try not to let it happen again. **_

_**Also, as promised, this chapter won't be from Marth's viewpoint, but rather Ike's. Hope to not confuse anyone. Thank you for your patience. –Twilight Joltik**_

* * *

The Mansion Enigma

Chapter Five

My sword hit against my opponent's once more. I could barely see the golden energy leeching from it as he slashed at me. I wasn't sure, but it seemed to me that our fighting produced that strange energy. I watched from the corner of my eyes as the blue and gold energy coming from our clash floated up into the lava-filled abyss that somewhere contained the roof of the cave. What was that energy? It seemed important, but I wasn't sure what it was exactly.

He prepared for a Dolphin Slash, but I plunged my sword into the ground for an Eruption attack. He slashed at me once more, and I noticed a glowing orb floating above us. Thrusting my sword upwards, my Aether brought me closer to the Smash Ball. I couldn't remember where I had heard the term, but it was a fairly good name for it.

Marth noticed it quickly, and attempted to grab it as well. He was faster than me, so I slashed at him before using Aether once more to attempt to break open the Smash Ball. My sword hit straight through it, but Marth slashed at it quickly after. Neither quite broke it, so I tried to grapple for it once more.

A sound like broken glass and a bright, multicolored glow confirmed my success. Falling towards Marth, I activated it with a slash of my sword. Fire engulfed my sword as we soared into the air and all my power hit him. He let out a small cry of agony and I felt a pang of guilt for hurting my friend so much. Why were these fights needed? Were they just for entertainment, or something darker? Whatever it was, I had no way to avoid these, so I simply tried to remember that any wounds to Marth healed before they could do any damage.

We were teleported back to the Observation Hall, marking my victory. Pit gushed to Marth something about how amazing the battle was, but I barely heard it, even when they attempted to call out to me. I simply followed the now familiar route to the room I shared with Marth, attempting to work out what I had observed during our battle. That odd energy- what was it, and why did our fighting seem to produce it? Arriving at the sword-marked door, I sat on my bed and pulled out the old book I had been using for notes. I couldn't find any blank paper, no matter how much I asked, for some reason, so marked paper would have to do. Besides, the novel wasn't horribly interesting, so it wasn't as if I was hurting anyone else by using it for another purpose.

I tried to describe the energy in the margins of text. It seemed to be more like fire than anything else I knew of, but a solid, pale color and barely visible. Different colors had come from Marth and I. Gold and blue, always the same, but why? Did it mean anything? I would have to look into it for the others next time we were pulled into battle.

Marth walked in a few minutes later, and glanced over at me. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Everything about this place confuses me," I sighed. "For one, we seem to be the only ones who question anything about it."

"Roy has expressed curiosity towards the subject as well," he corrected.

"Yes, but no one else seems to even bother."

Marth approached me, glancing at my book. "I actually thought that book was fairly engaging," he remarked. I sighed. He seemed not to take this too seriously, which frustrated me, considering he was the only person I could talk to about this openly. I hadn't tried to ask anyone else about it, mainly because Marth said he had tried and gotten nowhere, so he was the only hope I had for answers. Considering he hadn't tried to hide the fact that he enjoyed his life here a lot more than his life in our world, this wasn't odd, but it made him irritating.

He seemed to pick up on my annoyance, and quickly added "Maybe you were onto something when you said everyone already knows but doesn't want to talk about it?"

"Maybe," I mused. "But maybe it's something else."

With a laugh, Marth added "Perhaps they are just as frustrated as you are and simply gave up?"

It took a lot of effort to not tell him he wasn't being funny. "Or maybe they just don't care?" I added, trying not to roll my eyes, which I wasn't sure where I had known to respond with that action in the first place.

He smirked. "Or maybe they're too busy defiling public property to ask anyone else about it?"

I forced a laugh. It was obvious he was trying to be friendly, but his failure was probably because I was trying to have a serious conversation. "Listen," I finally deadpanned. "Did you see those weird energy things coming from us in that battle?"

"No, I did not. Whatever are you talking about?"

Shoving my defiled book in his face, I pointed to section I had written about the phenomena in. He scanned it quickly. "That seems odd. I must ask, what caused you to observe this?"

"Caught something moving out of the corner of my eye. "

"But how did you notice it?" Marth asked. "If it was as you described it, it must have been fairly faint."

I shrugged. "Fighter's reflex, I guess. I thought at first it was an attack, so that's why I paid attention, I think."

He frowned. "How is it that you can notice such minute details due to all your years of training, yet I, with very little training to speak of, can be nearly as proficient at it as you are?"

"Yet another thing I don't get about this place," I sighed. "Could be something about the weapons."

"Perhaps." Marth sat down beside me. "It could always be the fact that you're not used to that sword."

I picked my sword up and nodded. "Maybe. It's pretty heavy."

"If it weighs as much as it feels like it does when it hits me, it must be!" he remarked with a laugh.

"Sorry," I sighed. "I really hate that I have to hurt you."

"I know. I do not blame you for it," he stated. "I suppose the fighting must have some purpose. Maybe it is connected to the energy you observed?"

"Maybe," I muttered. "No, wait-" I tried to recall what I had observed; energy flying off of us, floating upwards in wisps. Was it attracted to something? Perhaps our fighting produced that energy, and it was collected for something.

"Excuse me, what did you say?" Marth asked. "You were mumbling something."

As much as I wanted to ask him what kind of person said things so formally yet bluntly, I stopped myself; he had given me a good idea, after all. "I just thought it was a good idea? Do you think the energy might be gathered for something?"

"If I understand the physics of this world correctly, which I doubt I do, then perhaps the energy is being used to sustain the world," suggested Marth.

"What do you mean?"

"Rosalina told me this was a pocket dimension, separated from the real world," he explained. "I do not know how such things are formed, but it cannot be naturally. If we were brought here for a reason, perhaps it was to sustain its existence."

That, while I wasn't quite sure what he meant by "pocket dimension", sounded like a reasonable explanation. "You are brilliant. And don't let me forget it. If we're going to figure this place out, we're going to have to work together."

Marth looked down at the ground, chuckling sheepishly. "I don't know if you should go that far, but I wish to know the secrets of this realm as well."

Glancing out the window, Marth grabbed a match from the small box on the table beside my bed and lit the candle beside it. "Considering how dark it has become, I believe your defiling requires a bit more light," he stated, grinning as he sat down on his bed.

I saw a bit clearer now his odd statements had been attempts to break the ice a bit. I felt bad that I had been so cold towards him, focusing on my theorizing instead of the conversation. "Thanks," I sighed.

I soon found myself with my eyes struggling to stay open, and my notes from our conversation not finished in the least. I blew out the candle and set the book aside. I needed to rest if I were to figure this out. But as my head drifted into the dark, I was vaguely aware of a creaking from the door and light footsteps.

* * *

I awoke before Marth, and tried to slip out to the library without waking him. However, he quickly jolted awake as light poured from the door. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Library. Go back to sleep," I stated as I continued out the door.

"What time is it?" he continued. He pulled back the curtains and nodded. "Okay, late enough."

"You can sleep in if you want t-"

"No, I had an idea," he interrupted. "Considering you have a habit of always going to the library or back to the room, I do not see any reason why you couldn't eat breakfast with us today, for a change of pace."

I shook my head. "I'd rather not, but thanks anyways."

"I would greatly appreciate it," he added.

Sighing, I pushed the door open all the way. "Listen, I understand you want to be my friend, and I'm not saying I don't like you, but I just would really rather not."

I started to walk away, but he followed suit. "May I at least have a proper explanation?" he requested.

"Pit irritates me, Red never talks about anything but Pokémon, and Link acts like he's older and smarter than anyone else," I explained.

"They aren't so bad if you invest time in it," he replied, a defensive edge in his voice.

"And you've known them for all of a week," I rebutted.

Recoiling, he cried "If you'd take the effort needed, you'd see that a week in friendship is worth far more than one in study!"

That statement struck me as odd. He hadn't seemed like the type to engage fights to me. "Sorry, I just want to try to figure out what's going on so I can make sure none of us get hurt."

"Feelings can be as fragile as bones!" he added ruefully and rather shrilly.

Scoffing, I tried to speed up and outrun him. He picked up his own pace quickly. "Sorry, I know I was a bit rude last night, but can we just move past that?"

"Fine," he groaned. "But only if you'll move past your constant endeavors to deduce the secrets of this realm; it becomes a tiring conversation topic."

"I am horribly sorry for trying to save our lives," I stated coolly.

"Listen, this place doesn't seem like the most innocent place in the world to me either, but I at least want to enjoy it. So please, can you just forget about it for a few minutes and join me at breakfast?"

"I've told you like, five times now!"

I tried to storm off, but he pulled on my sleeve. "Look, I am truly sorry. I may have lost my temper a bit,"

"You don't say," I interjected.

"It's just that Roy said he'd be on some sort of quest with Link in the forest for a few days, so I wanted to spend a bit of time with all of my friends before he left."

The regret in his eyes made me sigh my agreement and accompany him to a rather noisy breakfast. I tried my best to not get irritated with his friends, and though Pit was far too energetic for my tastes, it wasn't as bad as I had thought. Afterwards, I retreated to the library, attempting to find something that would help, but found no such things and ended up back in the room, where I attempted to finish writing down the theories we had discussed the night before. I wasn't called to a battle that day, which was a relief, but made the day pass by quickly and without much consequence. Marth showed up midway through the day with a plate of food and a few books he stated I was welcome to defile, as Palutena had read them and disliked them greatly. However, when he retired for the night, I once more attempted to strike up a conversation with him about our theories, needing a second opinion on something, but he quickly shut me down.

"Just drop it," he sighed.

"Wh-"

"I told you, it gets tiring easily. I just want to be able to pretend everything is fine. Is that too much to ask?"

I had no response, so I simply blew out my candle and laid down. And yet again, as I drifted off, I could have sworn I heard a creaking of the door and footsteps.

* * *

_**AN- Once again, sorry for the long wait. I hope to get the next chapter out much, much faster. In other news, I'm working on a SSB AMV. Yay.**_

_**Also, do you like the new cover? It took like, forever to draw, but I'm pleased with it. However, I'm afraid you guys won't like the next chapter; I'm employing the art of the time jump. I just want to skip filler, and I promise Mother/Earthbound fans will get some love next time. As in, you'll be raging at how badly I write for Ness and Lucas.**_

_**Speaking of OOC, I've been reading up on Fire Emblem to better characterize our heroes. And boy, did I miss a few things! Marth, luckily, canonically fits in with the childish personality I've given him, but Ike's a lot kinder than my usually characterization of him. Maybe his patient tendencies will show that? But Roy doesn't seem that far off, and if it seems that way, I'll just deploy my greatest defense; the AU argument! Just, please forgive me Fire Emblem fans. I got Awakening not too long ago, and love it. I mean, it won't help much unless Chrom or Lucinia are added, either as assist trophies or otherwise (please), but I love it. Also, SHIPPING!**_

_**Sorry, that was a tangent. Thanks to AzureForest for your follow! Thanks for reading! –Twilight Joltik**_

_**Next Chapter- Amnesiac timeskips (and another new POV)**_


	7. PK Forget Gamma

_**AN- Like I said, we have a new character viewpoint and a timeskip this chapter. Lucas is really fun to write for, but it took a while to figure it out. So, hope you enjoy, and thanks! -Twilight Joltik**_

* * *

The Mansion Enigma

Chapter Seven

I found myself sprawled in a dark hallway with no clue how I had gotten there, or any clue as to where I had been before that moment. I am not sure how long I was there, but it seemed to be quite some time before anyone stumbled upon me.

But, in time, a young boy with dark hair opened the door sitting to my right, nearly tripping over me. "You okay?" he asked.

I found words had escaped me, but my position did not allow me to easily shake my head, so I remained silent. The boy scanned me with his dark eyes. "Wait, you're new, right?" he questioned after a moment. I was unsure what to say, but my words returned with his third question.

"Are you dead?"

"…Maybe."

I could feel relief soaring off of him like a wave. "Nice to know!" he chuckled. "Who are you, anyways?"

I tried to search for a name. Only words came to me, scattered. "Give light to the small one who walks his path alone… "

"I don't think that's a name."

No, it wasn't. I tried to search for it again. "Lucas…?"

"Alright. That works. So, Lucas, why are you in the middle of the hallway?"

I wasn't sure. After a gap of silence, I heard the boy ask "Not much of a talker, are you?" I attempted to nod, but I was unsure if it was noticed.

"I take that as a yes?"

I allowed my silence to answer for me. He then extended a hand to me. I cautiously took it and he pulled me to my feet. "It's late, but we should probably go ask about this. Can you walk?"

I shakily stood. It was difficult, but I found it wasn't impossible. However, after a few steps, I found my legs gave out, and I let out a small cry of surprise as my eyelids fluttered shut. As he helped me up, I heard more footsteps and the sound of a few doors being flung open. "What's going on?" someone asked, confusion and concern blaring forth.

"N-nothing!" quickly reassured the boy who was accompanying me, quickly losing his grip and letting me fall back to the floor.

"Red, sneaking through the halls in the middle of the night with a boy who looks nearly dead; I don't think that's 'nothing'," another with annoyance and fatigue echoing around him stated.

Red- Was that his name? - whispered "Yeah, but I didn't want to wake anyone up!"

"I do not believe you succeeded in that," another voice chimed.

"Sorry 'bout that," Red muttered. "Don't worry; I can handle this. Just need to go see Master Hand and see what's up with this kid, that's all."

"Can you do that?" one of them asked, something hopeful and anxious flaring around him.

"Of course not," a new voice stated, this one female. "Trust me; I've been trying for ages. "

"I know," Red sighed. "I just think I ought to try; it's the only idea I've had so far."

"But what, exactly is his problem?" someone else asked.

Red stood in silence for a moment before answering. "Not sure, but he won't say anything that makes sense, and he was in the middle of the hall, so…"

I wanted to correct him, as I had said a few things, but the words failed me once again. I felt something scratch at my brain, as if someone was searching for something. "He seems a bit feverish," added someone, likely the same one who had probed my mind. "Maybe he was to die of illness?"

"_Lucas, right? Are you alright?" _his voice added, but it seemed to come from my mind rather than the air. _"I can't find anything in here," _he remarked with an air of cynicism.

"_How are you doing that?" _I attempted to ask mentally.

"_Psychokinesis, or PK,"_ he explained. He then eagerly added _"You must have it too! That's so cool! I haven't met anyone else with it since… a while ago, I guess."_

"_What did you mean, 'die of illness'?"_

A pause, and then a small sigh I could hear in reality. _"We're here because we were saved from death. Sorry, I don't know anything else about it."_

"_Alright. Do you remember anything from before you 'died'?"_

"_Kind of?" _he stated uncertainly._ "I mean, it sort of blends together after a while. Wait, you don't remember anything?"_

I shook my head before remembering he most likely couldn't see me do so. _"No…"_

"Amnesia," he muttered.

"What was that?" asked the girl.

Panic flying off of him, he muttered "Nothing" before adding mentally _"Unless you want me to tell them."_

"_I don't see why you wouldn't," _I replied.

"I-I just think he might be amnesiac," he continued.

I felt curiosity spike all around me, but it suddenly occurred to me I had no names to go with any of the emotions or voices. The boy had found my name when entering my mind, so I could probably do the same.

Reaching out, I attempted to find the name of what seemed to be the only female present. She was spiking with curiosity and eagerness, so she was fairly easy to trace. I tried to focus on her, and soon felt a surge of things I didn't recognize rushing through me. Images flashed in and out; a triangular symbol, an older teenage boy with pointed ears and blond hair, a book, blood red eyes, a corked bottle of silvery liquid-

She grimaced in pain and I felt my link collapse. The images stopped and another presence returned to my mind. _"Why were you doing that?"_ asked the other psychic.

"_I just wanted to find out her name."_

"_You shouldn't try to read minds unless you have to," _he continued._ "It can hurt people without psychic powers, and it's kind of rude."_

"_I didn't know."_

"_It's fine, but don't do it again unless you have to."_

"_You didn't seem to have any problems with using on me, even though you didn't know I was psychic," _I added.

A small pause. _"I wanted to make sure you were alright, and since you wouldn't talk, it was the only thing I could do,"_ he defended.

"_Could you at least tell me her name?"_

"_Zelda. And I'm Ness."_

Suddenly, I felt a tug at my arm. I begrudgingly opened my eyes to see Red staring down at me. "Do you think you can walk now?" he asked. I nodded and pulled myself to my feet. My steps shook at first, but seemed to get easier as I went along. Of course, that could have been due to Red's support.

I glanced to the side as Red slid in front of me and led me down the dark hall. I glanced back to see a young boy with black hair staring at me, concern flaring up around him; was that Ness? Two older boys with blue hair and eyes seemed to be arguing in hushed voices, but I couldn't make out what they said. A woman, likely Zelda looked as if she was debating whether or not something was a good idea, but jumped back when she met my gaze. Looking back ahead, I saw Red turning a corner as another boy with blond hair and violet eyes seemed to be approaching me. I couldn't sense anything from him, but he never seemed to blink.

"_Are you a ghost?"_ I attempted to ask, but I reached no mind but my own. My own mind, was that what I had been trying to reach?

The "hall" in front of me shimmered slightly silver, something I hadn't detected in my bleary state. It was a mirror, and the boy must have been my reflection. I saw only myself, but why did I not recognize it? Ness's diagnosis seemed correct.

"You coming?" Red called back to me. I tried to catch up, but found the energy wasn't in me. He simply slowed down, attempting to make certain I was alright.

We went through a few rooms and to a set of stairs, one leading up and the other down. Red started down a long flight that led to a door marked with a glowing cross in a circle. "You think you can handle it?" he called back. I nodded and grabbed the railing, taking slow steps. I was fairly sure I could at least handle going down, but I wasn't sure about the return trip.

As I headed down, I felt something lurking behind me, flaring with anxiety and fear. A second burst of excitement was beside it, and a third of curiosity was nearby. It seemed to me as if we may have been followed by the some of the people from before. I thought I heard a hushed murmur, but I couldn't make out what it said.

I was only halfway down the flight when I heard a sharp knocking at the door. By the dull light of the door, I could see Red standing by it, likely knocking. His knock was met only with silence, so he started to speak. "Um, hello, Master Hand? Er, there's a bit of a problem, and I don't know what to do about it, so I figured I should come ask about it."

Still no response, so he continued. "This boy kind of appeared in the hall, and I think he has amnesia. He won't say anything really, so I don't know what the problem is, exactly, but he seems like he might be sick or something."

I reached his side, and tried to detect something beyond the door. No emotions resonated except for a dark, dull defeated hum, but I was soon pushed back from it.

A voice called from the top of the stairwell. "Red, can you tell him about Roy and Link?" asked a boy with lighter blue hair.

"Who?" Red called back.

Annoyance shot out of the boy as he dashed down the stairs. "Hey, Master Hand, I hear you're in charge, and I'd really like to know what happened to my friends!" he hissed.

Red held a hand out to stop the boy from charging the door. "Marth, I have no clue who you're talking about, and I really think you should cal-"

"You know exactly who I'm talking about! You knew Link way before I did, and you met Roy as well! It has been far too long, and we really ought to do something to make sure they aren't dead or something!"

"I agree," Zelda called from the top of the stairwell. "I fear for them, and I believe it is necessary to ensure their safety."

Still, nothing came from the other side of the door.

"_If you can hear us, it would be nice to have some help,"_ I called out.

Still nothing, but I thought I heard a small laugh. "Alright," Red finally said. "You can just share Ness's room for now, I guess. He has an extra bed. We'll figure this out in the morning."

* * *

_**AN- See, less that a month between updates! I'm getting better! Also, I'm going to be at the ScrewAttack Gaming Convention this weekend, which I'm really excited for! **_

_**So, I had two options with Lucas; playing up his personality so he was basically Fluttershy or using his powers primarily. So, now we have MostlyMute!Psychic!Lucas. And I'm fond of this one. I'm proud of how this turned out. He's a blast to write simply because it gives me an excuse to stop writing so much dialogue. I apologize for how far off from Canon Lucas I probably got, but this is a fanfiction and I can use my own interpretations. :P **_

_**The emotions sensing thing is kind of confusing, but it's something that Lucas does involunarily. I know it's probably a bit confusing, but I hope it'll make sense eventually. **_

_**So, thanks to PandaLover1358 for your kind words, favorite, and follow! Thanks for reading! -Twilight Joltik**_


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